Electrical apparatus for effecting the chemical combination of gases.



c. o. MmGs.- x ELECTRICAL APPARATUS FOR EEFEGTING THE CHEMICAL COMBINATION 0F GASES.

APPLICATION FILED JAII. 23, 1914. 1 1 1 6,606,.- Patente-d N0v.1o,l1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

@7W/meco@ C v y l f y l c. .0; MBIGS.. l ELECTRICAL APPARATUS FOR EEFEGTING THE CHEMICAL COMBINATION 0F GASES.

I A .APPLICATION :FILED JAN. 23. 1914..

1,116,606. Patented Nov. 1o, 1914.

2 SHEETS-.SHEET 2.

C. C. fleigs www citizen of the United States, residing at I l eration., strong, and, durable.

' provide means to'properly cool the apparafor' the purpose' of illustration, Fig. 2 is a view of a slightly different form of contact AT0 alb w/wm zt may concern CURTIS' C. MEIGS, OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS FOR iEFEECTIN'G THE CI-IilVIICAII COMBINATION OF GASES.'

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. io, 1914.

Application led Ianuary 23, 1914. Serial No. 814,014.

-Be it known that I, CRTIs C.' Mines, a

Charleston, in the county of Charleston and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 'in Electrical Apparatus for Eif'ectiiig the Chemical Combination of Gases, of which the following is a specification. l

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for eii'ecting the chemical union of gaseous elements by electrical discharges in the presence of such elements.

An important object of this invention is to provide -me'ans of the above mentioned character, which is highly expeditious and continuous in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the above mentioned character, which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, reliable in op- A further object of the invention is to provide spark producing means including tubue lar elements through which the gases pass to be combined.

. A further object of the invention is to tus during operation.

Other objects and advantages of this invention willbe apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification and in which like numerals areemployed to designate like parts throughoutthe same, `lil`igure 1 is a side elevation of apparatus embodying my invention, parts thereof being shown in section horizontal sectional viewtakeii .on line 2-2 of Fig. l, and, Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail element. v

In the drawiiigs,\\'herein for the purpose of illustration is\sliown a preferred embodi ment of my invention, the numeral 5 desig-l nates upstanding legs or posts connected with annular frames 6, 7 and S, as shown.

'Extending across the outer annular frame 6 is a pair of upper horizontal beams or supports 9, upon which is rigidly moui'ited the lower member 10 of a thrust bearing, the

same being insulated from the beams 9, as` shown. The bearing` member 10 is secured l to the beams 9, which are slightly spaced, l

by meansof bolts 11 or the like. he bearing member 10 is'provided upon its upper surface witha preferably stepped recess 12, receiving the lower stepped face of an upper bearing member 13, there being bearing balls 14 arranged between certain of the faces of these bearing members, as shown. Extending between the beams 9 and through the bearing members lOvand 13 is a vertical metallic rotatable shaft 15, provided with an annular flange V16, Arig-idly connected4 therewith, lengaging the upper bearing member 13, as shown.

The numeral 17 designates 'a stationary cylindrical metallic shell, having its lower end or bottom closed and its upper end.

formed open and normally Vclosed by a removable cover or lid 18, secured to the upper end of the shell 17 by means of bolts 19 or the like. The shell y17 is provided with hand holes normally closed by .doors 20, detachably securedto the shell 17, to form an'airtight joint therewith. The stationaryouter shell 17 is mounted upon T rails 21', in turn supported by a pair vof lower beams 22, which rest upon the annular frame 8, as shown. The shell 17 has its periphery pref erablyformed of a double wall, providinga water jacket or space 17 the cooling liquid or Water being supplied to the lower 'portion of this jacket 17 through a pipe 18 and discharged therefrom through a pipe 19',

ysuch water `being supplied under vsuitable pressure, if desired.

Mounted Within the outer shell 17 are a plurality ofspace d superposed annular cooling members or rings 20', provided with Water spaces or' jackets 21', in communication with each other through the medium.- of pipes 22. The lowermost cooling ring 20' is-connected with a supply pipe 23', while the uppermost cooling ring isconnected with an outlet 24', the-water being ,supplied to.

these cooling rings under` suitable pressure,

'if desired,

' The cover 18 is 'provided with va -stuting box 23, for receiving the shaft 15` therethrough and forming an air-tight joint therewith to prevent the passage of gases from the shell 17 around or about the shaft 15. The stui'ling box 23 is provided with a packingring 24, serving to thoroughly insu- 26- or the like, with a preferably circular ,heady 27, which is rigidly formed upon its lower-end of the vshaft 15. Rigidly Secured to. the lower end of' the rotatable' 'shell25 is a tubular shaft or spindle 28,'.formed of a suitable ,insulating material, preferably hard wood. The tubular spindle 28 passes through .a'stufing box. 28', secured to the bottom of the shell 17 and its lower end eX- i0 tends. into a guide bearing 29, there being lThe gases to be combined are fed through "valve vcontrolled pipes 31 and 31 under pressure orotherwise connected with a pipe 32, leading into the chamber 30. y These gases then pass .upwardly through the ytubular shaft ,or spindle 28 and are discharged into s* .the'interior ofthe rotating shell 25. The gases Within.l the rotatingshell 25 .are dis- 30 charged from the Vsame through tubular contacts o r elements 33, arrangedupon the ,A exterior ofy and connected with the shell 25 by means of couplings 34: or the like. These tubular contacts are preferably formedof 35' platinum although they may be formed of copper' or .any other m'etal. The tubular t contacts 33 are arranged in superposed an- ."nular sets, the contacts in each set being spaced', Aas shown. The tubular contacts 33 40y are preferably bent laterally slightly, 'in an Y opposite direction to the direction of rota,- tion of theshell y25, as shown. f

IThe numeral 35y designates outer contacts,

arranged upon the interior of the shell 17 in superposed annular sets, the contactsy in eachl `set being suitably spaced, the same preferably corresponding in number and arrangement to and with the contacts 33.

The outer contacts 35 arepreferably brushes,v

formed` of platinum or any other l metal.

Brush contacts 35 are used when Vthey engage v yor wipe-the contacts 33, during their movement yThe brush contacts 35 are secured upon the inner ends of connecting elements or binding posts 36, passing through openings in the periphery of the shell 17, and* y ythoroughly insulated therefrom., as shownv at 37.v The sets of contacts 33 and 35 are arranged Within chambers formed between the spaced cooling rings 21', as shown.

In Fig. 3, is shown an outer contact meme' ber. 35, to be used in place of the brush contact 35, when a jump spark is to be used instead of a wipe spark. This contact mem-` ber 35" includes points 36 preferably formed. of platinum, which are permanently spaced fromv the tubular contact 33. A rod 37 serves to electrically connect the points 3/ with one .pole of the source ofvcurrent.

The inner tubular contacts 33\ are in electrical connection with the metallic shaft 15 carrying a. contact ring or rings 38 slidably engaging brush Vor brushes 39, connected with one pole of a suitable source of current not shown), while the outer contacts 35 are`"' suitably -connected with the opposite pole of the source of current.` y y w The chemically combined gasesy are withdrawn from the lower portions `of the chambers occurring between the cooling rings 20, through pipe 40, in `communication with annular pipes 4 1, connected with a common take-odr1 pipe 42.

As illustratiiv'eof the operation of my improved apparatus,-I will describe the production of ammonia gas 'by yuse ofthe same. The inner shell 25 is rotated at the desired speed, while hydrogen andA nitrogen are supplied through the pipes 31 andi'31 respectively, the same "becoming mixed or mechanically combined 7while passing through the pipe 32 in the chamber 30. These mixed gases now pass into the shell 25, and are forced outwardly through ythe tubular contact 33, the same, when passing out of the contacts, being surroundedfby wipe sparks occurring between each pair of contacts 33 and 35, when they are brought into. engagement with or in proximity to each other. The gases chemically combine 10o in the presence of the electric discharge, as is well known. I have discovered, however, that this chemical combination` is substan# tially aided, by the use of a wipe spark or arc, as stated, which as far as I am aware 105 has never been usedbefore. The chemically combined gases, forming ammonia gas, are now withdrawn through the pipes #10 Vand conducted to a suitable storage tank, (not shown). rIhe uncombined gases imayv be again returned to the apparatus. Inv the combining of the gases, as above described, it is necessary to retain the gas and appara,- tus cooledy to a certain degree, Whicliis accomplished by circulating the coolingwater through the water jackets rof the shellf17 and rings 20.

It is to be understood that the form of 4my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of 'the 120 same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit 0f the invention or the scope of the sub- ]'oined claims. Having described myf invention, l I claim 1,. Apparatus of the character described, comprising'anouter shell, a closed shell ar 4 rangedA Within the outer shell, tubular con- 130 tacts carried-by one shell, contact brushes carried by the other shell and arranged to slidably engage with the tubular contacts toprovide wipe-sparks, means to eiiect a relative movement between the shells, and means to supply gases to be combined into one shell. y

2. Apparatus of the character described, comprising an outer shell, ele trod-es connected therewith andextending interiorly thereof, a closed. rotatable shell arranged within the outer shell, tubular electrodes connected with the closed rotatable shell and adapted to coperate with the first named electrodes', a spindle 'connected with one end of the closed rotatable Shell and passing through an opening in the correspending end of the outer shell, a tubular spindle connected with the opposite end of theA 'closed rotatable shell ,and passing through an opening in the `corresponding end of the outer shell, means to supply gases to be combined into the tubular spin dle, and means to rotate the rotatable shell. 3. Apparatus' of the character described,

- comprising an upstanding support, Va thrust bearing elementA connected with .the upper end of the support, a co-acting rotatable thrust bearingelement, .a relatively sta tionary outer shell arranged within the 'support, contact .elements connected with the outer shelll and extending interiorly there.- of, a rotatable shell arranged within the outer shell, and provided with tubular contacts, -a spindle connected with the upper end of the rotatable shell and passing through the upper end ofthe rotatable shell the lower portion of. the support and re' and-passing through the upper end of the outer 'shell and through. the thrust bearing elements, means to rotate the spindle, .'a tubular spindle -connected .with the' lower -end of the rotatable shell and leading into the same, a guide bearingv connected with ceiving the 'lower open end of the tubular. spindle, and means .to supply gases to-,be

combined into -the guidelbearmg 4. Apparatus of the-character described,l

comprising -an outer shell provided .with

electrodes, an inner shell providedfwithco acting electrodes, a. plnralityf holv low members arranged betweerif;V the inner and outer shells and provided with cavities for receiving a temperature controlling i medium, and means to effect a relative movement between the two shells.

described,

5. Apparatus of the charactercomprising an outer shell provided with',`

electrodes, an "inner -shell provided with `electrodes to coperate with the' first named electrodes, means for supplying' gases tobe combined into one of the shells, means to j eil'ect a relative movement between the shells, and a plurality, of spaced coolingl members arranged between the outer and inner shells.

6, Apparatus of the character described, comprising lan outer shell, spaced superposed cooling rings mounted within the outer shell and provided with water receiving chambers in communication 'with each other, a rotatable shell arranged within the @001mg Iillgs and. provided with inletmeans, and means for providing electrical sparks within the outer shell includingelements carried bythe rotatable shell. A 7. Apparatus of the character described,

comprising an outer shell, A spaced .super-l posed cooling rings mounted wlthm the outer shell and provided with water receivtrical sparks within the cooling rings.

8. VApparatus of thepcharacter described; i 85- posed cooling. rings mounted within thecomprising an outer shell,- spaced supercooling shell provided -with water receiving chambers, means for .introducing gases to i be chemically combined into the spacesbetween the coolingrings and providing electrical sparks therein in the'presence of the gases, and' means 'leading into the spaces to Withdraw the chemically 'combined gases.-

In testimony CURTIS c. Mmes. fg VAWitnesses: 'l

' H. W. HANAHAN,

M. HUNTER..

whereof I aiix my signature Vin presence ,of two witnesses.

.ing chambers,l and means for providing e1ecspaces between .the 

